Manmohan Singh, KM Birla move SC against summons in coal scam

A special CBI court in Delhi had summoned the former PM in the coal blocks allocation case on March 11

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh filed an appeal in the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the summons issued to him by a trial court in connection with the coal blocks allocation scam.

Industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla group, has also moved the apex court against the summons issued to him. The court has asked Birla to appear in court over the allocation of coal blocks in Odisha to his group's subsidiary Hindalco.

Upset over the summons issued to him, the former prime minister had earlier this month said he was sure that the truth would prevail in the matter.

"I hope in any fair trial, I would be able to establish my total innocence. I have stated before the CBI my position and I have also as a prime minister issued a statement justifying what we did," he said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had led a solidarity march to Dr Singh's residence in the national capital, saying that the party was outraged on hearing the news of the summons being served by a court on the former prime minister.

She had also said that the Congress was fully behind him.

A special CBI court in Delhi had summoned the former prime minister, former coal secretary PC Parakh, industrialist Kumar Manglam Birla and three others in the coal blocks allocation case on March 11.

The court summoned them on alleged charges of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. They have all been asked to appear before the court on April 8.

The case pertains to the allocation of the Talabira II coal block in Odisha to M/s Hindalco in 2005, when Singh was holding the coal portfolio.